HB 1388 | CHIP Reauthorization

Session: 2017-2018

ACLU-PA Position: Opposes

House Bill 1388 reauthorizes the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through 2019. The bill drew scorn from civil rights advocates, including the ACLU of Pennsylvania, after a state senate committee amended it to prohibit insurance coverage for transgender-related healthcare services. After persistent and extensive organizing and lobbying, the House stripped this discriminatory amendment from the bill and sent Governor Wolf a clean CHIP re-authorization, which he enacted as Act 58 of 2017.

A more restrictive stand-alone bill, HB 1933, has been introduced to replace the failed CHIP amendment.